July 2004

These images are spatio-structural urban fantasies taken from Urbicande. Les cités obscures, the source material, is a 12-volume graphic novel by François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters, in which "references to our world abound, especially in regard to architecture." It is a "parallel universe," we read, full of utopian construction projects and urban expeditions, strange villages and—

—moving machine-labyrinths made from decontextualized walls. Its "coherence is constantly growing with time."

All images, including those below, are copyrighted by and fully credited to this creative team.

Why, the Obscure Cities have been long published in English! Look on the EBBS for more details and links.

And, surely, Mr.Schuiten does refer to Piranesi, Ferris, Fuller, Brunel, etc., etc.It's one of the main intentions of the series, it has (just to give an example) helpen re-establish Karl Blossfeldt as a person of its own right in architectural history by doing this...

Brusel is particularly relevant for Sydney (Australia). Its centre, nowadays referred to as "the financial district", was once comprised of exquisite Parisien style mansard residences, all obliterated long ago. In their place now stand a forest of massive skyscrapers.

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